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Central Intelligence Agency

Washington’s Department of Licensing has released a list of federal agencies that have received fictitious driver licenses for undercover operations. But the list made public Friday does not include the Central Intelligence Agency – even though the state agency previously acknowledged its work with CIA.

The list of federal agencies with so-called confidential driver’s licenses from the state of Washington includes: the US Department of Justice, Homeland Security, IRS and the Postal Service. Altogether 14 federal agencies have obtained nearly 600 of these valid Washington driver’s licenses issued in fictitious names.

But the CIA is not on the list.

Back in March, I was shown a different list of agencies with confidential driver’s licenses – one that included the CIA. Not only that it showed the CIA had received nearly 300 of these licenses – far more than any other federal, state or local government agency.

Since then, the Department of Licensing has said it can’t comment on its relationship with the federal government. The US Attorney for Western Washington – in a recent letter to the state – says this is a matter of classified national security information.

Governor Jay Inslee is scheduled to sign a bill into law next week to officially authorize the confidential driver’s license program to continue – but only for undercover law enforcement purposes. The CIA is not considered a traditional law enforcement agency.